The bloody nose was gone, which meant you could get rid of the tissues too. Exiting the girls' restroom after fixing yourself up a bit, you returned to the deserted hallways. Well, as deserted as possible, considering a certain red head was leaning against the wall casually, his lips curled up in a permanent smirk. It was the end of the day and yet, here you were at school, forced to deal with a problematic mistake made on the wrong person. At least one embarrassing moment was cleared; you didn't look so stupid with your face anymore.
Ginjirou's gleaming eyes lit up in excitement; he was quick to straighten himself up at the sight of you. Uniform wrinkled and out of place, he looked like a handsome delinquent who gave no shits about school. Which, to be fair, was pretty accurate, especially if he were to live in the world you came from. The way he could easily pummel every student back at your school was delinquent-like indeed; he wouldn't be cheered upon -- rather, he would be feared. Actually on second thought, he would easily be expelled before he could be feared.
"Well, what do you want?" you asked, your tone cold. Arms crossed over your chest and your posture was turning a little defensive. "Why did you screenshot it?"
Unbothered by your unfriendly attitude, he gave you a casual shrug. He began to start walking, forcing you to follow. This caused you to grit your teeth in annoyance; if there was anyone around, they would probably view you as some sort of obsessed, loyal dog following its owner. These elites never failed to boss anyone around and you were tired of it.
"Because I've been wanting to ask you of a favor," he told you. The two of you climbed down the stairway and the image of the victim being bullied flashed through your mind. You shuddered. You wondered how the victim was doing. Was he okay? Was he safe, physically and mentally? Would he be able to graduate from this school?
You knitted your brows together. "So you're basically blackmailing me," you deadpanned.
His face grew slightly flustered, his features offended. He shook his head in denial and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "It's not blackmailing, love. It's more so... to have you be more accepting to the job."
That was interesting way to sugarcoat... blackmailing. Too weary to argue with him on this subject of matter, you let out a small sigh. "Get to the point already."
"I want you to tutor me with the subjects learned in Education."
You nearly halted at the sound of this. Whirling your head towards him, your wide hues were met by an unreadable expression. He was facing straight ahead, looking very much serious. He wasn't joking. But that was the last thing you expected to hear from him. Why would he need a tutor in the one course everyone hated? It was also the one class useless for graduation. So... why? He even went through the great lengths of blackmailing you, which meant he was desperate in some way, shape, or form.
People in this school were usually getting bullied by being good at Education above all things the curriculum offered. Then there were the few that kept their liking to the subject hidden, fearful of getting bullied as well. If word got out that Ginjirou was getting tutored on it, wouldn't it cause a scandal? Perhaps... you could use this knowledge to your advantage.
"I will tutor you if you do something in exchange for me."
He cocked a brow, looking befuddled by your words. Afterwards, a laugh was released, for he was wholly amused by you. "I'm the one with the screenshot though," he protested.
"And?" you taunted. "You wouldn't want the school to find out about this, do you?"
He was no longer amused, seemingly frustrated by your painfully accurate points. His scowl was your victory, as if you were getting crowned at the same time. It was nice to see that smirk wiped off for once, to throw an elite into a loophole and crush their big ego. Victory -- for the time being -- sure did taste sweet.
"What do you want then?" It was his turn to ask the question.
"It's simple, really. I'll tutor you, you tutor me. Do we have a deal?"
He wanted to argue with you on this -- to find another option where it would only benefit him. You could see that through his eyes, the swirling gold unstable. Win, win, win. There was no other way around. Nothing more and nothing less would be accepted. Compromises would not be satiable.
Nearing the entrance doors of the building, he pushed the glass structure open. You entered the sunlight, feeling the warmth spread along your arms and legs. It felt nice and you welcomed it, because the air conditioner inside transformed the place into an icy hell. Hugging yourself, you continued to patiently wait for the boy to come to a conclusion. Goddammit. How was someone so indecisive? It was a yes or no question.
As he was about to finally answer the damn question, a loud gasp in the distance caused the both of you to whip your heads around. A thump soon followed -- it sounded like a body had just collapsed. It was to your left, where green grass and flowers surrounded a beautiful fountain. However, a large tree blocked part of the view, so you weren't sure who it was.
Without waiting to see what Ginjirou's reaction, you hurried on over to the scene of crime to find another familiar face. Tear stricken and on the ground was Sakiko, pulling out clumps of grass. Her long, lilac hair was messed up and dirtied and the bag on her side was scattered of items. She was wheezing, gulping the air greedily as she wailed in hysteria. You felt the presence of the male by your side, his figure stiffening at the sight of his fellow elite. You weren't sure what to do. Nor did he. When the beautiful girl lifted her head up, her silver eyes were dazed, but so, so sad. "[Y/N]... Ginjirou," she breathed out, clawing her perfect cuticles through the dirt.
"Let's bring her to the nurse's office." Eventually finding your voice, you uttered this to the red head, who wasted no time. Bending down, he scooped the girl up into his arms as if she was a sack of potatoes. Carrying her bridal style, he maneuvered towards the building. You stayed behind to clean up her mess, stuffing her books and items back into the bag.
Something caught your eye before you were done with the clean up. It was a stack of brown, paper bags, unused. They were all folded and empty inside. It was weird to know she had this on her. For what reason? You couldn't help... but be reminded of when you had seen her in the girls' restroom. Was this somehow connected?
Shaking your head to yourself, you chose not to dwell on it. Once you finished and the ground was as good as new, you began your way to the nurse's office. Footsteps clicking against the floor and echoing into the eerie silence of the hallways, you took a few turns and reached your destination. The white, empty room greeted you once more, causing your toes to curl. Indeed, Ginjirou was already there, sitting on the ends of a bed where Sakiko was resting at. However, there was no nurse to be found anywhere.
He met your inquiry before you could even voice it. "When I arrived, the nurse wasn't here either." That was not good. Sure, she was fast asleep, but that didn't exactly mean she was fine. No one was around from the start to know what had happened to her.
"Should we... call her parents then?" you pondered, leaning your exhausted body against the edge of the counter.
He nodded in agreement and took the bag from you, rummaging through it with absolutely no shame. It didn't take long for him to find her phone and with the swipe of his finger, he accessed it. Did she not have a password? She was so careless... it was almost unbelievable to you.
When he found a sensible contact, he pressed on it and held it up to his ear. It rung once, then twice, then three times. The person on the other side picked up. With a few words here and there, Ginjirou told them what had happened.
The other caller was her mother, a woman who was as pretty as her daughter. Her lilac hair in a tight bun, she wore a dark suit and gave off an intimidating air. She glanced at the two of you, making you feel small under her gaze. "Thank you for the trouble, Ginjirou and...?"
"Oh, uh- [Y/N]," you muttered.
"[Y/N]," she said with a tight-lipped smile. "Thank you. Unfortunately, I'd like some time alone with Sakiko, so if you could excuse us..."
You took a look at the unconscious girl. Alone time? When she was still fast asleep? For some strange reason, you didn't want to leave her in the company of this woman.
Eito's warnings entered your mind and you relented. You needed to stop and just focus on yourself from now on. Sakiko was perfect -- she was your nemesis by default. There was nothing to worry about. Trailing behind Ginjirou, the door clasped behind you and you stood there in the darkened hallway with him, for the second time today. If he was worried about Sakiko himself, he didn't show it.
"I should get going now," he stated, already walking. You were about to object, for you had unfinished business with him. He only rolled his eyes at your persistent nature. "And yes, [Y/N]. The deal is on."